The present invention relates to improvements made to pneumatic valves for an inflatable object such as an inflatable boat, this valve being arranged so as to be partially embedded in an aperture in the flexible wall of the inflatable object carrying it and not protruding significantly in relation to this wall, the valve comprising a valve body containing the valve mechanism and two collars like truncated cones surrounding the valve body, being attached to same and suitable for gripping between them in a leak-proof manner the portion of the flexible wall peripherally bordering said aperture.
Valves of this kind are already known, particularly from the document FR 2 627 839, and are widely used for example to equip inflatable craft of all types.
However, if these known valves give every satisfaction from the functional point of view, they present a significant disadvantage in respect of fitting them on to and removing them from the object which they equip. In fact, the flexible wall intended to support them is fitted with an aperture across it sized to match the transverse dimension of the valve body. Now, in these known valves, the lower collar, intended to come to rest below the flexible wall (i.e. inwardly of the inflatable volume of the object.) is an integral part of the valve body and the diameter of this collar is very significantly greater than the transverse dimension of the aperture across the wall of the object.
The disadvantage can be of less significance during the manufacture of the object for it is possible, at least in numerous cases, to put the valve into place before the inflatable volume is completely closed.
On the other hand, the major difficulty arises when a damaged valve has to be replaced in the course of the object's life: removal of the damaged valve through the aperture, then the introduction of a new valve by the same route prove to be extremely difficult because of the low capacity for elastic deformation, zero in fact, of the material constituting the wall (for example a coated fabric in the case of a craft) and because of the necessity of not distending this material and above all not tearing it.
Essentially, the purpose of the invention is to propose an improved layout of pneumatic valve which, whilst keeping the same structure for the actual valve structure since this gives satisfaction, presents an external configuration making it easier to fit it on to or remove it from the wall of the object which it equips, without this nonetheless resulting in increased complexity, and keeping the cost of manufacturing more or less identical.